Days of the Week
by Sarah Withers
Summary: A series of short stories featuring Connie & Joseph
1. Just Another Monday Morning

**Just Another Monday Morning**

She sighed as she strode along the corridor on the way to another dull meeting. This was the last thing she needed after a long night in theatre working on a complicated emergency.

She pushed open the boardroom door and glanced around at the sea of expectant faces. People whom had all been waiting for her. She smiled slightly as an apology for her lateness before sliding into the only spare seat.

She glanced up to see a slightly tired looking Joseph sitting opposite her, he at least had received the minimal benefit of a few hours sleep after she'd suggested her went to the on call room after a long day and night.

He smiled up at her slightly, partly as an acknowledgement of her arrival and partly through gratitude for the few hours of sleep she'd gifted him.

The meeting began and as talk of toilets and rising vandalism started she found herself in desperate need of some sort of entertainment to keep her amused, and more important awake. She glanced around her and her eyes settled on Joseph. She smiled slightly as an idea popped into her head. She slipped her stockinged foot out from her heeled shoe and lifted it, reaching out underneath the table and resting it on her registrar's knee; flexing her toes slightly and laughing to herself as she saw a panicked look shoot through his eyes as his head jerked upwards at her touch.

She began to straighten her leg; sliding it back and forth along his thigh, enjoying the mixture of uncomfort and pleasure in his eye, knowing he was unable to complain and ask her to stop, nor cry out in pleasure. This was her little game and she was enjoying it more every second.

She briefly looked down at her agenda and realised they were nearing the end of the meeting. She slid her foot further down to his crotch, flexing her toes and stroking him through his trousers, working very hard to stop herself laughing at the look of pure terror that flashed across his face as she felt him begin to harden.

Only as she heard the meeting begin to draw to a close did she withdraw her foot and slide it back into her shoe. Standing with the other members of board, excluding a sufficiently embarrassed Joseph, she began to move towards the door.

"Mrs Beauchamp" he called out, "Would it be possible to have a word?"

She stopped, smirking slightly and allowed to others to exit before closing and locking the door. She turned to him, "Mr Byrne?"

She walked towards him smirking as he stood up and moved away from the table, his arousal obvious to her, "What… What were you doing?"

She glanced down to his crotch, "I would have thought it was fairly obvious…"

She moved up to him trapping him between herself and the table, smiling as she reached up kissing him deeply. He gasped slightly not expecting it but soon responded, wrapping his arms around her waist, and holding her close to him as their tongues explored each others mouths.

Joseph was finally allowing himself to see his consultant as a woman, and a rather gorgeous one at that, as opposed to the object of authority he'd forced himself to view her as. 

Connie began to see more than the awkward, slightly geeky registrar she'd always thought of him as. Allowing herself to be pleasantly surprised as she ran her hands up his arms, feeling the toned muscles beneath his shirt.

Suddenly he lifted her and turned laying her on the boardroom table and beginning to undo her shirt. She looked up at him in surprise but made no effort to tell him to stop as she felt the material slide down her arms and off.

His lips fell to her chest, tracing the line of her bra with his kisses before he reached around, deftly removing it with one fluid movement. His thumbs began to trace circles around her already erect nipples, making them harder still before he found himself unable to wait any longer. He undid the zip on her trousers and slid them down over her ankles and ran his hands over her black lace underwear, almost savouring the moment and locking it away in his brain before he removed them.

She smiled as she reached up pulling at his tie, removing it swiftly followed by the other items of clothing he'd decide to wear the night before. She pulled him on top of her, guiding him inside her as she kissed him. Moaning loudly as she felt him move inside her, their cries mingling together as they brought each other closer to climax.

She reached round digging her nails into his lower back, pulling him deeper in as she arched her back. He let out a deep moan as he felt her bring him nearer to the edge, and looked down at Connie to find her face glistening slightly, and full of pleasure.

He felt her tense around him and cry out as she came, groaning as this tipped him over the edge and he came before lying down on the table beside her and watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

Feeling her breathing return to normal she rose and quickly dressed before looking down at Joseph. He took this as a sign and quickly dressed himself and looked at her expectantly.

"I'm going home now Mr Byrne. I suggest you do the same. I expect to see you in my office at the end of your shift tomorrow." She swiftly turned and left the room leaving Joseph wondering what the hell sort of game he'd just let himself be dragged into.


	2. Tuesday's Debt

**Tuesday's Debt**

It was a rather troubled Joseph Byrne that was to be found walking through Darwin ward on the way to the office of a certain clinical lead that Tuesday evening. He was still thoroughly confused by the events of the previous morning, and also a little shocked by his own behaviour, but the fact remained he had never liked being called to the office, or in fact any office. He has almost always associated it with something unpleasant, certainly ever since the age of 11 when he had been called into the headmaster's office, at the highly exclusive, highly overpriced all boys prep school in Buckinghamshire that his father had insisted upon him attending, and blamed for carving his name into one of the antique oak beds in one of his house dormitories. It transpired several years later it had in fact been Harry who had so willingly vandalised several thousand pounds worth of furniture. Joseph had, not unfairly in his mind, refused to speak to his elder brother for several weeks after that particular revelation; the essay upon why it was wrong to deface things of great value he had been forced to write in Latin still haunted him every time he happened across a phrase in one of his medical books.

He stopped outside the office door, hovering without knocking, wandering if it was too late to simply walk away and claim he'd simply forgotten after a long shift, and how much worse such actions would make the moment when she finally caught up with him. The choice, however, was taken out of his hands as her high heels clattered over the wooden floor of her office and the door slowly swung open in front of him. "Mr Byrne, are you planning on standing outside my office the whole night, or were you planning and knocking and entering?" she drawled as she looked at him, he tried to decipher precisely how annoyed she was and to formulate an appropriate response but his stuttered reply was quickly cut off by a roll of the eyes and an exasperated, "Oh just come in and sit down"

He quickly moved into the office and sat down, unwilling to annoy her any more than he already had done. He heard the door click shut behind them and her heels walking back across the floor towards him, he saw her take her seat on the opposite side of the desk from her, and inferred that the barrier she had placed between them was a clear sign that what had happened the previous day was not something that she wished to occur again, nor was she particularly amused with the fact it had indeed occurred at all. He quickly decided that an unreserved apology and a promise to never do it again was the best course of action, but he was cut off before he got further than "Ms Beauchamp, I'm sorry…" by a curt "Yes, well it's a little late for that now isn't it."

She glanced over at him and saw him staring down at his hands, which were clenched tightly together in his lap and smiled to herself, this was going to be even easier than she had pictured. "Well Mr Byrne, I spoke to my solicitor last night…" She had to hide a smile as she watched his head snap up and the shock appear in his eyes as her words registered with him, his "What?" was overshadowed by her continuation, "And we agreed that the best course of action for the situation is to file a sexual harassment suit against you, there's a possibility you'll be struck off but you should avoid prison…"

His eyes widened with the shock, "My career?!" he stuttered, the panic evident in his voice, "But it was consensual… you may regret it now but it… it wasn't…" the precise word he was looking for was sticking in his throat.

She rose from her chair, "It wasn't rape, I know…" she slowly sashayed round to his side of the desk, "But who do you think they'll believe? Me? A highly respected surgeon," She was standing behind him now, her breath hot on his neck, "Or a big, strong, powerful man like you…."

Now he was perfectly confused, he was quite convinced that was not the tone of voice nor the choice of language consistent with someone who had just informed you that they were about to file a lawsuit against you, he was also quite convinced that the finely manicured nail trailing up his bicep wasn't entirely appropriate behaviour, so her "Unless of course…" was met with a very puzzled, "What?"

And suddenly she was directly in front of him, leaning seductively against her desk, her legs crossed with the split in her skirt displaying several inches of toned thigh as she leaned forwards to whisper in his ear, "I want you available 24/7 to service my… needs…"

He was feeling uncomfortably aroused by her breath tickling his ear, "I… I don't follow…"

She pushed his chair backwards, the tip of her shoe dangerously near to his crotch before straddling him, her skirt riding even further up her legs, "In short Mr Byrne, I own you from now on… you want to keep your career you become my… sex slave"

She heard the words "No, I couldn't" coming from his mouth, but the throbbing she could feel between his thighs betrayed a lack of conviction in his words. A throbbing that only became more pronounced as she leaned forwards uttering the words "Why don't we begin now…" Before pressing her lips to his, her tongue gently pressing against his lips as she encouraged them to part. She slid her tongue into his mouth, moaning slightly as she felt him respond. His tongue, like the rest of him surprisingly strong, probing into the far reaches of her mouth, his hands reaching up and beginning to unbutton her blouse as his inhibitions began to fall away. He pulled away replacing the skin of her lips with the skin of her breast as he traced the outline of her bra, he reached behind her, unhooking her bra with a level of dexterity that surprised her, his lips closing around her nipple as he slowly slid the straps from her shoulders. Her gentle moans encouraged him to continue as his tongue circled her nipple as it slowly became more erect.

He slowly stood with her still wrapped around him and in one swift movement he had her pinned against the wall, his lips caressing her neck as he one handedly slid his trousers down, and moved her thong to one side before sliding into her. he gently thrust into her, muting her cried by pressing his lips to hers, feeling her body beginning to slip between him and the wall, as her body became covered with a fine layer of moisture. He placed a hand on the wall just beside her head and leaned in even closer to her as he began to thrust harder. Her breaths becoming more rapid and shallower as he brought her closer and closer to the edge. He gasped slightly as he felt himself moving close to release, she cried out as she tightened around him, letting out a deep moan in a voice quite unlike her own as she came, crumpling against him as he thrust into her a final time as he came too. He leaned harder against the wall, pressing her tighter to him, caught between him and the wall with no where to go she kissed his neck as she rested her head on his shoulders, suddenly tired. He moved away from the wall. And carried her across the room, laying her down on the sofa and smiling slightly at the look of contentment on her face. Feeling slightly smug in the knowledge that, for this instance at least, he was the only one that had put it there. Knowing that his services were no longer required he quickly redressed and left the room safe in the knowledge that she would call again, he didn't know when and he certainly didn't know where he would be, but he knew that page would come, and he knew he would answer it. After all is wasn't just his career at stake, he thought he was going to quite enjoy it too.


	3. It Happened on a Wednesday

**It Happened On A Wednesday**

For several weeks there was nothing, barely even an acknowledgement of his existence beyond what was essential contact regarding patients. Joseph had just began to think that it had been fun while it lasted, clearly it hadn't lasted long enough, but after that second sexual encounter she had apparently grown bored of him. He was, ,however, proved quite wrong that Wednesday afternoon when he received a page stating simply "_7:30 penthouse Riverside House. C._" clearly this was what he had been waiting for, a time and a place, a place he presumed was part of the quayside development of a few years back, he would have to Google it when he got a moment. He heard the familiar sound of her heels against the linoleum floor and glanced up to see her crossing the ward, her bag hooked casually over her arm as was her style, she caught his eye and raising her eyebrow slightly she shot him a questioning look, one that he was quite aware only he knew the full implications of, he gave a slight nod of the head as an acknowledgement of the page, and to show that he would be there, and with that she wafted into the lift and was gone.

At precisely 7:25 he pulled into a parking space at the foot of Riverside House, grateful for Google and the RAC's route planning service. He climbed out of the car, pushing the door shut and beginning to walk towards the entrance way, pausing briefly to turn back towards the car and activate the remote locking, smiling slightly as he heard the slight click and saw the obligatory flash of the hazard lights, he clicked the button again despite the fact he was quite sure that dead locking the car, or even locking it at all was quite unnecessary in this exclusive development. He was all too aware that despite the fact his Range Rover had cost him the best part of £75,000 it was still by far the cheapest car in an area were Ferraris and Aston Martins were kept as second cars and little play things for the kept wives of many a high flyer who had chosen the Wyvern Docks development as his home.

He turned again, crossing what was left of the distance between his car and the door, pausing briefly to look at the list of names on the intercom and consider precisely how many of them were people that moved in the same circles as his mother and father, or who were at least children of such people. He briefly entertained ideas of what his parents would say if they were quite aware of what he was doing, thoughts he very quickly put out of his head as he reached up and pressed the bell for the penthouse. The slight hiss that issued from the panel was a clear indication that the person above was waiting for him to speak first, and if he knew Connie Beauchamp she was probably waiting fairly impatiently, moving slightly closer to the small microphone he said simply "It's me."

This was seemingly enough detail for her as he heard the buzz of the door release and upon hearing nothing from her he took this as a sign to go up. Opening the door and stepping into the communal lobby he looked around at the chic minimalistic decor, with its white walls and pale wood floors, there was barely anything there, the foot of the staircase, two lifts and two sculptures seemed to be the only things present. He couldn't even see the letter boxes he assumed must exist somewhere, yet for the second time in about as many minutes he was painfully aware of the exclusivity of the area, and highly suspected that the two sculptures alone probably had a higher valuation placed upon them than that of his entire flat, again not exactly at the bargain basement end of the spectrum but a fairly expensive gift from his parents, he strongly suspected it was entirely down to his mother, a congratulations upon getting his new job at Holby.

He stepped into the lift as the doors opened and pressed the button for the top floor, realising, perhaps a little to late, that he was entirely unaware of the number of her flat, simply knowing the floor it was situated on, a problem that soon resolved itself as the lift came smoothly to a halt at the top floor and the doors slid silently open. He stepped out of the lift into the same minimalistic style of surroundings as before and found only one door directly across from him, he crossed to it and knocked twice, "It's open" came the lazy reply from inside and he pushed the door open and stepped inside, briefly glancing around before his eyes came to rest on the figure lounging on the sofa, dressed solely in a black lace bra and matching French knickers and a casually, half buttoned oversized white shirt, which he could only presume had once belonged to her infamous ex husband. He glanced at the arm draped across the back of the sofa, a champagne flute half full held loosely in her hand, and then down to the tanned toned thighs bridging the gap between the black leather sofa to the glass coffee table where her feet rested. He noticed with a little surprise, the dark nail polish on her toes and wondered for a moment how many others were aware of this fact. These thoughts were interrupted as her feet withdrew to the floor as she stood and padded over to a glass shelving unit in the corner, "Champagne?" she enquired, already reaching for a second glass, the laugh he received as he replied "Just half a glass… I'm driving" coupled with the filling of the flute a fairly clear indication that he wasn't going anywhere that night.

He smiled slightly as she handed him the glass, trying to ignore the sensation within his body that had begun the moment he had first entered the flat and spotted her, and had increased substantially as her fingers had briefly brushed against his as she handed over his glass, a feeling that only increased further as she sat back on the sofa, lazily crossing her legs and revealing more of herself as she slowly drank the remainder of her champagne, reaching forward she gave him an unbeatable view of her cleavage as she placed her empty glass on the table. Moving upright again she wordlessly patted the sofa beside her and he crossed the room and sat beside her, taking a nervous sip of champagne as he did so. She smiled slightly, informing him in a soft and seductive tone that he needn't be so nervous. This however did absolutely nothing for his nerves as he felt his groin began to throb, something she seemed to remain perfectly unaware of as she reached forwards unknotting his tie and casually draping it over the back of the sofa, before moving closer to him, doing nothing to ease the throbbing which was growing ever stronger, as she one handedly undid his shirt buttons and pulled it from his trousers, parting it to reveal his toned torso. She pressed her lips against his neck, leaving a dark mark from her lipstick before seductively tracing her lips down over his chest, trailing her dark red lipstick over him and leaving her lipstick suitably smudged as she lifted her head, pressing her lips to his briefly and pushing her tongue into his mouth, flicking around as she slid her hand downwards, feeling the slight bulge in his trunks as she removed his belt and unzipped his trousers, in one fluid movement she pulled them down leaving him naked, and pushed him backwards on the sofa, he just managed to stop the champagne from slopping over the rim of the glass and onto the floor, and he gasped as he felt her lips close around him. He moaned as she began to work her magic, her tongue sliding around him, and a gentle hum sending vibrations across him quite like anything he had ever experienced before. Suddenly remembering why he was there he gasped, "I thought it… was meant… to be me… servicing your… needs..."

She paused momentarily and glanced up at him, "Who said this was for your benefit? Maybe I need to do it…" he nodded in submission and she lowered her head once more, gently sucking on him. he couldn't help but cry out "Oh God!" as he felt himself being brought closer to orgasm, and as she flicked her tongue over his tip the champagne glass slipped from his hand, shattering into tiny pieces as it landed on the floor with a crunch. He flushed red and murmured sorry, before moving as if to tidy up, but a manicured hand on his chest pushed him firmly back flat on the sofa as she paused in her ministrations to hoarsely whisper "Leave it" before lowering her head again, sucking harder this time, knowing how close he was and eager to make it happen. she swirled her tongue around him once more and his breath caught in his throat as he came, gasping for breath he simply lay there, perfectly still as she made her way back up his body and kissed him, allowing him to taste himself. She took his hand and slid it down her body and into her underwear, allowing him to feel her eagerness, moaning quietly as she felt his finger move inside her, her hips buckling as his thumb began to circle her clit, smirking to himself as her breathing shallowed. Withdrawing his finger he moved down her body, pulling down her knickers with his teeth and sliding his tongue deep inside her, her gasps, moans and bucking hips being all the encouragement he needs to continue. Her gasping cry of disappointment clear as he withdrew from her, her lips ferociously clashing with him as he moved upwards, hungrily tasting herself, but clearly wanting more as he felt her nails digging into the soft flesh at the top of his thighs, drawing him into her once more, her moans vibrating around his mouth and his neck as her lips moved over him. His thrusts continued as their dewy bodies slipped against each other and against the cool black leather of the sofa. He felt her nails digging into the small of his back as she tightened around him as she came, shortly followed by a shuddering breath he identified as his own, as release reached him and he collapsed down onto the sofa beside her, holding her in his arms and kissing her neck as he watched her heaving chest as her body struggled to repay its oxygen debt.

Glancing across at a clock he realised that at some point they had both fallen asleep on the couch and it was now sometime after eleven. He stood up and crouched down to pick up her still sleeping frame, one hand under her knees and the other in the small of her back, as her head lolled against his chest. He carried her to what appeared to be the only other door coming off the open plan living area, believing, correctly as it turned out, that it must be the bedroom. He gently shifted her weight so he could hold her in one arm as he used his now free hand to pull back the Egyptian cotton sheets, he gently laid her down and began to move away when she stirred and reached for his wrist, scuttling over slightly as she pulled him back towards the bed, he slid in next to her, finding himself surprised by the amount of vulnerability she was allowing herself to display as she moved back into his arms and fell asleep with her head on his chest. He watched her, thinking to himself as he slowly fell asleep, even someone like Connie Beauchamp needed more than sex sometimes. Occasionally everyone needs to feel loved, no matter how brief the experience may be, and she had just revealed to him that she was no different, as she lay there, her breaths soft and deep now, with a contented smile on her face.


	4. Once Upon a Thursday

**Once Upon A Thursday**

He stood in the office, watching from the window as she dropped her weekend bag onto the passenger seat of her waiting car and strolled around to the driver's side, briefly pausing to look back towards her office, towards him, before climbing into her car and driving out of the car park, away from the hospital and away from him.

He moved back away from the window and sank into her chair, feeling a little closer to her once more as he did so. It was absolutely ridiculous he told himself, yet over the course of the past few months they had gradually begun to spend more and more time together, it was no longer all about the sex, but more about time spent in each others company, and though it went against everything his head was telling him, he was fairly sure he was beginning to fall in love with her. he was quite sure it was most inconvenient yet, try as he might, it was a feeling he couldn't shake, and so his thoughts now weren't focused on the patients, she'd left behind in his care, but solely on her, and his wishes that it was he sitting in the passenger seat, that the weekend bag had been consigned to the rear seat, preferably next to one of his own, and it was this thought that accompanied him as he sighed and moved from her chair and out to the ward to begin his rounds before commencing his theatre list.

Joseph removed his theatre cap and flung it into the laundry basket, along with his bloody gown before tiredly pushing through the theatre doors and heading down to the locker room. He opened his locker and pulled his neatly pressed trousers from their hanger, swiftly pulling them on, and quickly relegating the thoughts of a certain someone pulling them off to the back of his head, he reached his shirt from another hanger, neatly doing up the buttons on each cuff before reaching for the silk tie and expertly pulling it into his traditional tight knot, buttoning down his collar he finally reached out his jacket, pulling it on and smoothing down his sleeves. He threw his scrubs into the hamper in the corner of the room and reaching his possessions from the shelf in his locker, he slid his leather wallet into his back pocket, fastening his watch around his wrist, a very nice Breitling, a gift from Connie, though as far as anyone else was concerned it was a birthday gift from his mother. He smiled slightly as his phone buzzed into life, the vibrations sending it travelling along the table, one new message flashed onto the screen, and he smiled to no one but himself as he reached down for it. He didn't need to look at the name on the message to know who it was from, the message gave no instructions, not that he needed them, simply a hotel name and room number, Park Lane Hilton, 2601.

He quickly reached his shoes from the bottom of his locker and slid his feet into them. He pulled out his briefcase and pushed his locker door to, pulling his car keys out of his pocket he headed down to the car park. Subconsciously copying Connie's actions from the morning he placed his briefcase on the passenger seat before walking around to the driver's side and climbing in. He turned over the engine and pulled out of the hospital heading for the M4. He smiled to himself as he thought about what would be waiting for him at the end of his journey. He pulled onto the slip road and his thoughts wondered to how fast he could get to London. Where the speed cameras were and whether he could claim his petrol costs back as expenses.

He flexed his foot against the accelerator and smiled slightly to himself as the engine responded, the quiet purr becoming louder as the turbo kicked in and the tires began the travel faster over the tarmac. His suspension kept him perfectly comfortable as he moved to the outside lane and began flying past the slower cars in the other lanes. He was quite aware that at this speed the car would be drinking petrol faster that Sam downed shots on a Friday night, once this would have bothered him, but now he no longer cared. This was another side effect of spending time with Connie, driving was no longer simply a method of getting from A to B, it was something to be enjoyed, very few things gave him the same amount of pleasure as being in control of a car, feeling the engine respond to his actions, and seeing the scenery flash past as he accelerated along the road. One of these things was waiting for him in a hotel room at the end of this particular journey, the same thing happened to be the reason why he had just put a deposit down on an extremely expensive Aston Martin. It wasn't that he'd become completely reckless, but after seeing her smile as he'd accelerated up various b roads to their country retreat during a weeklong test drive he knew he had to have one.

The drive up the M4 passed without incident and before long he was pulling off and heading through the outskirts towards the city, passing the university where he'd spent six years of his youth and turning onto Kensington Road, following the outskirts of Hyde Park until he reached the building he was looking for. He turned down into the underground car park, pulling into a space and turning the engine off. He took his wallet from the dashboard and stepped out of the car, opening the rear door he took his jacket from the hook and hooked it over his finger as he pushed the door to and headed for the lift, pointing his key behind him and locking the car, as he did so.

The doors opened to the lobby and he walked over to the reception desk, he waited patiently as the blonde girl behind the desk finished her phone call and looked up at him smiling. He asked if the conference had finished for the day yet and looked vaguely surprised as the receptionist shook her head but questioningly said his name. He nodded and smiled as she handed him a key, adding, "Ms Beauchamp asked me to give this to you."

He thanked her and took the key, taking the lift to the twenty-sixth floor he stepped out into the hallway and walked down towards the room. He swiped the card and pushed the door open. He looked around, faintly surprised, this was impressive even by Connie's standards, the door had opened not into a room as he'd expected but a suite, and a large one at that. He threw his jacket over a chair and slipped his shoes off before wandering over to the double doors in the opposite wall and sliding them open. This revealed the bedroom and he crossed it to the window and looked out over Hyde Park. Turning away he unbuttoned his collar and removed his tie, undoing the top button of his shirt, he walked over to the mini bar, picking out a glass he dropped a couple of ice cubes into the bottom before picking out a bottle of scotch. He poured himself a generous measure, smiling as he heard the ice crack as the amber liquid swirled around it. He moved over to the king-size bed and settled himself against the pillows, turning on the news and sipping his drink as he waited for her to appear.

He didn't have to wait long, he was taking the final sip of his drink as the door opened and she walked in. his eyes travelled up her legs from the floor to the hem of her skirt, sweeping over her bottom as she turned to drop the key on to the table, and moving up her torso to meet her eyes as she turned and spotted him lying on the bed. "You made it then…"

He simply nodded as she crossed the lounge and entered the bedroom, glancing around her as she climbed up on to the bed "You didn't bring me a present?"

He shook his head, "No… I brought you me…" with that he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, gently pressing his lips to hers, slowly responding as he felt her tongue press into his mouth, he rolled the two of them over, propping himself up on his elbow as he pulled away and gazed down at her, "how was the conference?" he asked as he stroked a strand of hair from her forehead.

She shrugged and began playing with the buttons of his shirt, "dull… conference like…" She undid the next button of his shirt, "I had something to look forward to though"

He smiled as he caught her hands and lifted them above her head, pinning them there with a single hand as he kissed her neck. "Aren't we in a dominating mood tonight Mr Byrne…..." He heard the words, almost a whisper in his ear and pulled away smiling, "Well if you don't like it…"

They both smiled as her warm laugh filled the suite as she pulled him back towards her, "That wasn't what I meant and you know it!" She playfully hit his chest and he responded with a laugh pulling her into a tight embrace, pressing his lips to hers once more as she melted into him. Her hands gently pulling at his hair as her fingers tangled into the soft brown strands. He pulled her shirt apart, gently teasing her hands from his hair as he slid it from her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. He gently laid her back against the pillows and began to scatter kisses across the soft porcelain skin of her torso. He moved his kisses upwards to where the edge of her bra met her skin; the contrast of the dark black lace against her milky skin not lost on him as he reached around and delicately removed the expensive lingerie., dropping it on the bed his lips brushed across her nipples as he moved downwards once more. Dropping kisses onto her belly button he reached her side and unbuttoned her skirt, sliding it down over her hips and silky thighs, this joined her shirt on the floor, as his lips fell once again to her skin, this time just above the black lace of her knickers. She gasped as he brushed across a particularly sensitive spot and he smiled to himself. As he removed the final item of her clothing he paused, drinking in her beauty. The comfort the two of them found in each others company obvious as she lay there gazing up at him, a smile gradually forming on her face as she leaned upwards to kiss him.

Gently unbuttoning his shirt she slid it from his back, her hands wandering over his back, her nails digging into the strong muscle as he groaned happily. She moved her hands lower, sliding them between the material of his trousers and his skin, flexing her fingers and allowing her nails to dig into his soft flesh before sliding them around to the front and flicking the button open, slowly sliding down the zipper as she began to push them down. She moved her hands down slowly, allowing them to caress his strong thighs and muscled calves as she removed the material. Seeing a satisfying bulge in his underwear she removed it and allowed her legs to tangle with his as they move in between the crisp white sheets. Gently kissing him she felt him slowly enter her. she softly moaned as she rolled them over and paused looking down into his eyes, she smiled as he rolled them over once more, her smile widening as he gazed down into her eyes and moved down to gently kiss her. With a mischievous grin she rolled them over again, sending them crashing off the bed and landing on the floor in a tangle of limbs and white linen.. His eyes sparkled as the pair of them collapsed into a fit of giggles and her arms wound their way back around his neck and her lips found his once again. She moaned as she felt him move inside her, sliding her hands down his back, now moist with sweat and urging him into her more, writhing beneath him as he brought her closer to the edge., calling his name as she came and moving into his arms as he collapsed next to her.

She lay in his arms perfectly content as time past and she began to shiver, she pulled herself away and reached down a fluffy white robe, wrapping it around herself and pulling the tie into a knot. She climbed back onto the bed and snuggled against the pillows, smiling down at Joseph she pointed out the spare robe in the bathroom, watching him as he stood and disappeared into the other room. He returned pulling the belt around his waist into a knot, to find her looking up at him appearing slightly guilty. She smiled and looked down at the sheets, "It's Love Actually… It's my favourite…"

He laughed and slid on the bed beside her, smiling as she curled herself around him and rested her head on his chest, smelling her hair as he reached for the phone to call room service he realised, without any shadow of a doubt, that this was love. Actually.


	5. That Friday Feeling

That Friday Feeling

The blaring of his alarm clock sliced through his subconscious raising him from his deep slumber. He stirred, staring blearily at the clock as it flashed 6:45. Scrambling from his bed he crossed to his en-suite bathroom, turning the chrome handle and stepping under the hot stream. Reaching for the shower gel he quickly washed and turned the water off. Slicking his hair back he stepped out and reached for the crisp white towel, wrapping it around his waist he crossed to the mirror, wiping the condensation from the glass he briefly examined his reflection, deciding he didn't need to shave he grabbed the hand towel and rubbed at his hair to dry it.

Walking back into the bedroom he crossed to his wardrobe, pulling out a pair of jeans and a white T shirt. Sitting on the edge of the bed he carefully dried himself; he rubbed at his chest, his arms and his legs, finally drying his feet, carefully drying between his toes before dressing. Heading out to his hallway he grabbed his keys and a jacket, pausing briefly to pick up the two envelopes that were sitting on his side table. Open the first, a simple white one he found an elegant card from his mother, the inside simply reading, 'Happy Birthday darling, all my love mum x'. The second was an entirely different affair, opening the bright blue envelope he found an equally bright card, the inside read 'To Joseph, Many happy returns on your special day. Elliot.' He laughed slightly as he placed the cards back on the table. The two contrasting cards revealing so much about the two senders contrasting personalities; His mother's organised, precise ways and Elliot's bumbling, eccentric, though caring manner.

He glanced at the clock as he opened the door, only 7:15, still early enough to miss the morning traffic. He took the steps down to the parking garage under his apartment building. Crossing to his car he pressed the button on his key fob, illuminating the garage as his hazard lights flashed twice, indicating the car was open. Opening the door he lowered himself into the dark leather seat and pushed the key card into the slot.

Pressing the start button the engine roared into life. Pressing his foot to the accelerator he smiled as the engine revved. He put it into reverse and swung it back out of his space, pulling out onto the street and making his way to the ring road. His Aston making easy work of the trip across town, cutting through what little early morning traffic there was. Turning off the ring road he turned onto a single track road. Easily taking the corners of the road he had travelled so many times, he was fairly certain he could do it with his eyes closed, not that he would risk it in this car. Turning into the familiar driveway he followed it up to the house, pulling up alongside her brand new Jaguar.

Pushing the door to as he slipped out of the car and crossed the gravel to the front door, locking his car he selected the thir key on the chain, sliding it into the lock, he twisted the key and pushed the door open as he entered the house and shut the door.

He smiled as she appeared at the top of the stairs; he smiled as she slowly walked down them, his eyes travelling up her bare legs to the slightly oversized England Rugby shirt. Reaching him she slid her arms around his neck, standing on tip toe to gently kiss him before whispering in his ear, "Happy birthday baby"

He thanked her gently kissing her back as his hands reached around her, settling in the small of her back. "I didn't know you were a rugby fan" He said, surprised by her choice of attire.

She smiled enigmatically and led him through to the living room. Grinning she handed him a parcel beautifully wrapped in glossy black paper with a sliver ribbon crisscrossing before ending in a bow. She laughed as he stood admiring the wrapping, "Well open it then."

He pulled at the two ends of the bow, unwrapping the ribbon and placing it on the table before turning the package over. Sliding a finger under the flap he pulled the sellotape from the paper and unfolded the flap. He pulled the contents from the paper and smiled at the matching rugby shirt in his size.

She looked at him expectantly, "Well put it on then…." She reached the hem of his T shirt and began pulling it upwards, smiling he took the hem and lifted it over his head. She grinned and kissed his chest, moving away slightly as he pulled the shirt over his head. Kissing him again she promised him she'd only be a few minutes and disappeared upstairs.

True to her word she reappeared in her doorway less then five minutes later, now fully dressed with a pair of jeans and high heeled boots completing her outfit. Walking over to the sofa she reached out her hand and tried to pull him up, "Come on then baby…"

He looked up at her clock before pulling her down onto his lap. "Con it's only 8:30 where could we possibly need to go this early? Can't we just wait a few minutes…?" He gently kissed her as he ran his hands under her shirt, "It is my birthday after all…"

She leaned in slowly kissing him before pulling away and standing, "And that Joe is exactly the reason we need to go… You didn't think that the shirt was your only present…" She picked up a silver envelope from her coffee table and handed it to him. He opened it to find two tickets to the Rugby World Cup final nestled in the centre of the card. She grinned at his obvious excitement. "Now come on we've got a long journey ahead, Wembley awaits us, we'll take your car…"

Following her from the house he opened the car door for her, closing it as she slid down into the seat before walking around to the driver's side and slipping into the car himself. He set the sat nav for Wembley and followed the instructions, the weak November sun forcing its way through the cloud as they made their way onto the M4 and headed for London. Slipping off the motorway he carefully negotiated his way through the smaller streets, avoiding the crowds that had begun to build up around the ground. Pulling into the car park Joseph handed over the car parking voucher Connie had managed to talk her way into. Finding a parking space he pulled into it, locking the car as they heading across the car park towards the stadium access.

Finding themselves at the venue with just over ninety minutes to spare they headed for a restaurant. Settling down into a table for two, overlooking the pitch, they watched the two teams warm up as they ate lunch. Smiling as they finished Connie handed over her credit card, ignoring Joseph's protests and reminding him that it was his birthday.

Heading into the stands they made their way to their seats, their excitement growing as the atmosphere around them became more and more electric as they got closer to the start of the match. The England fans enjoying the first half and loudly singing as their team took an early lead. The second half was an all together more tense affair as New Zealand began to fight back, clawing back to points try by try until they were a mere point behind with two minutes to go. England managed to hold on and there was a tremendous cheer as the hooter went and Jonny Wilkinson kicked the ball into touch marking the end of the game.

Noticing the ball heading in their direction the crowd surrounding them began to clamber in the hope of catching the ball. They were all disappointed though as one manicured hand reached up above them all and captured the ball, hooking it down into the safety of her chest she hopped down off the seat of her chair and grinned, clutching her spoils and laughing at the fact she had surprised Joseph for the second time that day. "I played a bit when I was younger… I was on the girls team and uni..." she explained, taking his hand she led him down to the fencing at the side of the pitch, pulling out a permanent pen from her handbag and smiling sweetly over at a couple of players who were celebrating closest to them. Beaming as they jogged over she held out the ball and the pen, thanking them for signing it with a kiss on the cheek, smiling she gently pushed Joseph towards them and took a picture of him with them. The news of the kiss on the cheek reward clearly spread through the squad as before long the entire team had jogged over and added their names to the ball.

Sliding her arm around Joseph's waist they had cheered along with the rest of the crowd as England had lifted the cup, joining in with the singing as the team had started their lap of honour. They were both shocked, however, to see the players jogging towards them with the cup, and even more shocked as they were asked if they'd like to hold it. Nodding eagerly Joseph took the cup as it was handed to him, holding it aloft he beamed as Connie slid her arms around his waist, looking up at him lovingly as someone took a photo for them. Handing the cup back, they watched as the players had continued on their celebrations.

Finally the crowd began to thin and Connie and Joseph made their way back to the car. They made their way out of Wembley, Joseph carefully avoiding the people celebrating in the street as Connie sat still happily clutching her ball in her lap. Accelerating as they hit the M4 Joseph made light work of the journey back, passing the exit for Holby he took the next junction and headed up a series of roads towards the Byrne estate. He pulled into the gated grounds but instead of heading up the large driveway towards the main house Joseph turned off onto a secondary track, following the winding road into a wooded area and pulling up in front of a cottage neatly hidden away from the rest of the world.

Unlocking the door they both walked inside, Connie went upstairs to change as Joseph set about lighting the real fire. The logs crackling into life as she made her way back downstairs dressed simply in one of Joseph's T shirts. Sliding onto the sofa next to him she curled up to him, resting her head on his chest and listening to the deep, gentle breaths. She smiled sleepily as she felt him kiss her head and mumbling "I love you" into his chest.

Half asleep himself he replied with "I love you too Mrs Byrne…" She sat up straight and looked at him with an interested expression on her face, "Is that a proposal Mr Byrne?"

He smiled, "And what would you say if it was?" he asked gently kissing her neck. She paused briefly, "Hypothetically?" he nodded and she continued, "Hypothetically I'd say does this proposal come with a ring?"

Laughing he replied, "Yes… hypothetically the proposal comes with a ring… what would you say?"

She gently kissed his nose, "A proposal with a ring… Well hypothetically I'd have to say yes…"

Joseph pulled away from her slightly and reached into a drawer, pulling out a small red velvet box, opening it he revealed a diamond cluster set into a platinum band. He looked at her and smiled, "So…"

She gazed back into his eyes, "So…"

He laughed slightly, "You're not going to make this easy for me are you…" She smiled and shook her head slightly so he continued, "Connie Beauchamp, will you marry me?"

She nodded and kissed him deeply, beaming as she pulled away, "Yes, yes I will…" he smiled and slipped the ring onto her finer, smiling as she admired it. "It was my grandmother's engagement ring… I borrowed one of your rings so I could have it adjusted to fit…"

She smiled snuggling up to him again, laying her head on his chest and resting her hand next to it so she could see her ring. "It's beautiful…" Joseph grinned holding her tightly, "She'd be very proud you're wearing it now… I love you…"

She gently kissed him again, "I love you too." Lapsing into a comfortable silence the two of them listening only to the sound of the wind through the trees and the occasional pop of a log on the fire as they drifted towards sleep. Glancing at his watch just as the second hand moved through the stroke of midnight Joseph smiled to himself, thinking that it really hadn't been too bad a birthday, in fact as birthdays went this had been a pretty damn good one.


End file.
